Palestinian Reconciliation ..... between Reality & Wishful thinking

Gaza, May 1, Israel spewed continuous reactions on the Palestinian awaited reconciliation before dragging Egypt into a media-war. Netanyahy, Lieberman, many other Israeli ministers and many other Israeli officials and Army chiefs rushed to express their rage about a possible Palestinian unity asking USA, UN, EU and the world to step against this Palestinian unity because now –as they see- Palestinian unity will impose a danger on Israel. They all also demanded Hamas and the new interim government (that isn’t created yet) to recognize Israel and offer guarantees for Israel’s security and recognition.

If I may say, Israel is freaking out and it is obvious. Egypt then threw a bomb shell declaring that Rafah border will be “permanently” open with less restrictions and No what-so-ever Israeli involvement in controlling the border, saying it will be controlled by Egypt and Palestine only. This brought Israel over the edge and led it to drag Egypt into a media-war between both countries exchanging threats. Then both countries kicked it up a notch, Israel declared that Egypt will be “burned” if Rafah border opened permanently without any Israeli control, Egypt replied: “Bring it on”. I don’t believe Israel is dumb enough to launch a war against Egypt specially New Egypt after Mubarak’s regime, but I am afraid to say that a second possible war may be waged on Gaza so Israel can let it’s rage out and let out some steam.

I honestly don’t know where to stand regarding the Palestinian reconciliations, this week seems to be the longest week ever. Palestinians everywhere are praying fingers-crossed for this week to pass by smoothly so we can witness the final signing of the Palestinian reconciliation in Cairo on Thursday at the presence of Abbas and Mashaal. We are observing carefully the American pressure to break this unity demanding the recognition and threatening of cutting all the funds to the PA if they included Hamas in a new government especially when America considers Hamas as an “Organization of terror”.

People around the world think Palestinians cant be happier now, which is very overrated. Palestinians are anxious and awaiting, we have a long road ahead. First, we need to ensure the Palestinian unity taking place, then its continuality, after that comes lifting the siege off Gaza and finally comes freeing our country from the occupation. Opening Rafah border permanently doesn’t necessarily mean that Gaza’s siege is lifted immediately, we need more steps and more work. Let me just remind myself and you all that we are all taking about futuristic plans that didn’t happen yet, I hate to see us all considering this happened when it didn’t yet and might not happen.

Gladly, Hamas and Fatah stopped the media-campaigns against each other and decided to both be optimistic and till now both are showing good intentions towards a real close unity. PA is showing their will to be committed to this reconciliation and Ismail Hanniyah, PM of Gaza’s De Facto government, declared his will to step down as a PM for a new government of national unity.

So we can say that till now everything is going in the right direction despite the Israeli and American pressure to halt or ruin the Palestinian efforts towards a real unity.

Alpha international organization carried a poll about the Palestinian reconciliation and came up with some interesting numbers:

84% of Palestinians heard about the reconciliation, while 16% didn’t hear about it.

58% of Palestinians want Salam Fayyad as the new PM, while 77% of Palestinians believe that Hamas & Fatah will reconcile for real.

71% of Palestinians believed that Presidential and legislative elections will actually take place after one year of the final signing of the Palestinian reconciliation.

44% of Palestinians believed that Arab revolution yielded this reconciliation, while 32% of Palestinians believed that Gaza and west bank’s rallies against the Palestinian division yielded this reconciliation.

This poll was conducted by Alpha International Foundation for Research and Information and opinion polls, self financed and conducted on a sample representing the Palestinian community aged over 18 and residing in the Palestinian territories, including 35.5% in the Gaza Strip and 64.5% in the West Bank. The ratio of males 50.8% versus 49.2% of females, data was collected on Saturday, using the phone.

Cairo summoned the Palestinian factions to be present in Egypt this week, all Palestinian factions will be present at the final signing of the Palestinian reconciliation this anxiously-awaited Thursday.

Gazans are very concerned and nervous this week, the reconciliation and Egypt’s late encouraging statement about breaking the siege lifted their spirits.